Car-door



UNiTED -STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM n'rAYLoR, or MOUNT AIRY, omo.

CAR-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,144, dated July 19, 189.2.

Application filed September 14, 1891. Serial No. 405,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Airy,in the county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention is designed more especially for use in connection with doors for refrigerator-cars, but may be advantageously applied to ordinary freightcars- The door is adapted to rest within its opening flush with the outer surface of the car and to be removed therefrom laterally onto a guide-rail, on which the door slides when removed from said opening, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of a car-door embodying my invention in an operative position on a car, said door having been removed from and to one side of its opening. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the dotted line a: :r of Fig. 1 just below the top guide-rail, showing the door within its opening in a closed position; and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View showing the door removed from its opening in position to slide on the lower guiderail. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the dotted line 4 4, Fig. 2, through the top portion of the car, door, and guide-rail, showing said door in a closed position; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the dotted line 5 5, Fig. 3, through the lower portion of the car, door, and guide-rail, with the door removed from its opening onto the said guide-rail, said views showing one mode of packing the door and casings to render the same air-tight when closed. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of one of the lower recessed guide-lugs removed from the bottom of the door 5 and Fig. 7 is a similar View of one of the tongued guide-lugs removed from the casing or lower portion of the caropening, the tongue on said lug being adapted to enter the recess or groove within the lug shown in Fig. 6, said two lugs serving as a guide or way on which the door is inserted and removed from its opening at right angles thereto.

The door A is adapted to fit and rest within outer face of said door coming iiush with the outer face of the car when the door is in a closed position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. To the car are secured two guide-rails D and E, which extend, respectively, above and beneath the opening B, and sufciently to one side thereof to permit the door to slide away from its said opening, as will more fully hereinafter appear. Said guide-rails are provided respectively, with a downwardly-projecting flange CZ and an upwardly-projecting flange e., as shown.

To the top of door A are secured the guidelugs F, (preferably two in number,) said lugs having a central groove f and upwardly-proj ecting lugs f2, the latter engaging at the rear of flange cl on the top guide-rail when the door is removed from its opening, as shown in Fig. l. The bottom of the door is provided with similar guide-lugs F, the downwardly-projecting lugs f2 engaging at the -rear of the upturned flange e on the lower guide-rail. The lower guide-lugs F are preferably provided with an` additional lug f 3, which latter engages on the outside of flange e, as shown in Fig. 5. These lugs F lmay be secured to the top and bottom of the door in any desired operative manner; but it is preferred to provide said lugs with the bracket extensions f4, as shown, said extensions being bolted `to the door at each side thereof.

The top and bottom of the casing which surrounds the opening B have recessed portions, within which are secured guide-lugs G, corresponding in number with` lugs F on the door, said lugs G having a central rib or tongue g, which latter is adapted to enter within the groove f of lugs F when the door is being put to place or while being'removed therefrom. The weight of the door rests upon the lower guide-lugs F, the bottom face of which (between the lugs f2) rests upon the shoulders g2 of lugs G and slides thereon as the door is moved laterally. The flanges f2 on lugs F engage at each side of the osets formed by shoulders gfa on lugs G.

It will be seen that the tongue-andgroove lugs F and G form a guide and way, on which the door slides into and out of its opening B at right angles thereto, and so soon as the door is slid outward :it rests on .the upturned the opening B in the side of the car C, the

Iiange e, the latter engaging between the lugs IOO f2 and f, as shown in Fig. 5, in which position the door is free to slide away from and to one side et the opening. The flange e is cnt away at e2 in order to permit the lugs f3 to pass over said ilauge as the door is operated into and away from its opening.

Any suitable operative device may be employed for sliding the door in and out of the opening on the guide-lugs, one form of such device being shown, which latter consists of a rod I-I, rotatably connected to said door in a vertical position, said rod having the angular bent portions 7L at. each end tliereof,the latter terminating in the extensions h2 at right angles thereto, said extensions h2 engaging between the outer surface of the car and the flanges d c at the rear ot the latter, the function of said extensions hi being to slide the door into and out ol` its openingby means of rod II. To the rod lzl is rigidly connected a lever II', the latter pretcrablybeing provided with an opening 7L to encircle a suitable staple h4 on the car. The operation of this i'eature isasfollows: Having slid the door to the left hand, (when constructed as shown in Fig. 1,) opposite its opening Il, the operator grasps the lever II and pushes it inward toward the door, which operation will cause the extensions h2 on rod II to slide along the inner face ol' flanges d c on the top and bottom 'guide-rails, and in this manner the door slides into its openinglaterally at right angles to the face of the car. rlhe tongue-and-groove guide-lugs F and G at the lower portion of the door and opening serve to properly and evenly guide said door into and out of its opening.

The door is retained and locked within its opening by means of lever Il', which encircles or slips over the staple 7b4 at the opening 7L, a suitable pin or padlock (not shown) being inserted within said said staple in the usual manner.

lVheu used in connection with a refrigerator-car, it is desirable that all openings shall be closed tightly as possible, and to this end I have provided casing-strips B2, attached to the inner face of the car, which strips project over the opening i3 at all sides thereof. \Vithin each strip is provided a semicircular groove, having secured therein a strip oi rubber or other elastic packing Z), which packing is adapted to fit within corresponding grooves b2 on the inncrfaceot the door and surrounding the latter, which will render the opening comparatively air-tight when said door is in a closed position.

The advantages ot myinvention consist of its simplicity of construction and operation and cheapness of manufacture. By the use of the guide-lugs F and G and guide-rails D and E, I am enabled to dispense with hinged or pivoted hangers. By the use of said rails and lugs the horizontal and lateral movements are accomplished by a sliding motion. The lower lugs F being the only portions which rest upon the edge of ilange c, the longitudinal sliding movement is easily accomplished, the lugs f2 and f3 serving to retain said door in position on said flange.

It will be seen that the movements of the door consist of a longitudinal sliding movement on the lower guide-rail E and a lateral sliding movement at right angles thereto within its opening.

Another valuable feature ot' my invention is that the tongues and grooves on lugs F and G- serve to retain the door in proper position within its opening and will not permit said door to strike orimpinge againstthe jambs of its opening while being inserted or removed therefrom. All lateral movement of the door is overcome by the use of said tongues and grooves while said door is being slid within or from its opening in the car.

that I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A car having a suitable cased opening with guide-rails connected thereto above and below said opening, in combination with a door provided at top and bottom with lugs F, having a groove f therein, and lugs G, connected to the top and bottom casing of. said opening, said latter lugs havinga tongue g, and suitable means for sliding said door out of its opening onto the lower rail and for retaining said door thereon in a sliding position, substantially as set forth.

El. In colnbination with a carhavinga suitable opening therein,the rails D and E, counccted to said car, said rails having flanges d and e, respectively, door A, having lugs F connected to the top and bottom thereof, said lugs having the extensions f2 and groove f, the lower lugs having an auxiliary extension f, lugs G, connected to the top and bottom casing of said opening, said lugs having a tongue g, the lower rail having a recess c2, the tongues r/ resting andi adapted to slide within the grooves f, and suitable means for operating and locking said door.

A car having an opening with flanged guide-rails connected thereto above, below, and extending to one side of said opening, lugs F, connected to the top and bottom of said door, with grooves f in said lugs, lugs G, connected to the top and bottom casing ol said opening,with tongues g on said latter-lugs, and rod Il, connected to said door, said rod at each end having the angularporlions 71, h2, the portions 7b2 engaging at the rear of the ilanges on said guide-rails, for the purposes set forth.

ABRAHAM l. TAYLOR.

lVituesses:

W. B. Buien, O. M. HILL.

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